Policies and Guidelines – Staff Absence Management Policy
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U-MS-Po-04 Staff Absence Management Policy
Staff Absence Management Policy
Policy Overview
Absence from work is costly and has an adverse effect on the quality of service to the students. It is therefore vital that organisations control absence.
In US University of Technology, Science and Arts annual targets for absence rates are set by the Administration Head.
Absence control is primarily achieved through the absence management procedures outlined below. However, annual action plans is drawn to assist in achieving targets.
Absence management procedures
Monitoring is carried out to assess performance against targets which are as follows:
Reports are produced biannually and monitored by the administration section
Reports are produced on a monthly basis and monitored by administration team
Line managers are responsible for achieving section targets. Their performance is monitored through the employee development scheme and normal management process
Definitions
‘Absence’ is defined as not attending for work when required to do so
‘Authorised absence’ is absence which has been authorised by line management prior to or after its occurrence and can be paid or unpaid
‘Unauthorised’ absence is absence which has not received authorisation by line management prior to or after its occurrence and is always unpaid.
‘Un-certificated’ sickness is absence of 1 to 3 days which does not need a self-certificate or medical certificate. The employee must inform their line manager in line with the absence reporting procedure
‘Self-certificated sickness’ is absence longer than 3 consecutive days but less than 8 days (including Saturday and Sunday) and requires a self-certification form to be completed. These are submitted to the line manager by the employee.
‘Medically certificated sickness’ is absence of more than 7 consecutive days (including Saturdays and Sundays) and must be supported by a medical certificate signed by a qualified medical practitioner.
Absence management guidelines – the line manager’s role
Recording and reviewing absence
Managers are responsible for recording the absences of their employees on a weekly or monthly basis and for ensuring the information is entered onto the computerised absence management system. It is therefore important that managers are clear which employees they are responsible for. Managers should receive quarterly reports analysing the absences of each of their employees.
Copies of the absence recording form are available from the Administration Section.
These must be completed on a weekly or monthly basis in full, ensuring that accurate reasons for absence are always given.
Controlling absence
Managers are responsible for controlling, and, where necessary, reducing the absence levels of their employees in the same way that they are responsible for any other aspect of their employees’ performance. The following is a summary of the line manager’s role:
Managers should ensure they carefully check references of prospective employees for information about previous attendance levels before confirming an offer of employment. If no information is available about the attendance record on the written reference, further details should be sought from the referee. If previous absence levels gives cause for concern.
Managers should ensure that all their employees are familiar with the absence reporting procedure and the absence rules (copies available from Administration) and that these are explained to all new employees as part of their induction. It should also be made clear to new employees that attendance levels are reviewed as part of the probationary assessment.
Occupational sick pay is provided to support employees who are genuinely sick and whose absences are authorised. It is not a right or a benefit and managers must ensure that their employees understand this and are fully aware that abuse of the scheme is a disciplinary offence.
Managers need to ensure that employees follow the absence reporting procedure, the key point of which is that the employee should phone the line manager direct by a specific, agreed time on the first day of absence. Failure to notify absence in the required way without good cause is a matter for disciplinary action.
Managers should ensure that employees understand what is expected of them when absent on authorised sickness leave. Employees should keep the manager informed about progress and likely date of return to work.
Managers should conduct back-to-work interviews every time an employee returns from sickness absence.
Managers should review every employee’s attendance record, using the quarterly reports produced by administration section. An absence review meeting should be conducted every time an absence trigger point is reached.
When managers identify that an abuse of the absence procedure has occurred, they should take immediate disciplinary action with the advice of the administration section.
Managers should ensure that they treat all employees consistently in accordance with the procedure in order to set a high standard and demonstrate leadership.
Guidance is given below on dealing with cases of persistent short-term and long-term sickness absence.
Detailed procedure – short-term absence
On receiving a call from the employee, the manager should enquire sympathetically into the nature of the illness and likely duration, note the time and date of call and reason and enter the absence on to the recording form. The manager should also check on any work which may need to be covered.
If an employee is absent and fails to notify in the correct way, the reasons for this should be established on the employee’s return to work. These should be recorded and administration consulted on action to be taken.
Should the discussion between manager and employee reveal that the illness is very minor (for example a slight headache), the manager should try to convince the employee to come in to work, perhaps by offering to reschedule or reallocate any particularly onerous duties.
Managers may arrange to visit a sick employee at home during the absence by prior arrangement with the employee unless abuse of the sickness scheme is suspected, when a visit may be made without prior notification.
Back-to-work interviews
These should be conducted in as private an environment as possible on the day the employee returns to work. The aim of the interview is to welcome the employee back to work, to enquire after their health, to communicate what acceptable levels of absence are and what degree of illness should be expected to give rise to absence (for example, an employee with a slight headache or slight cold would normally be expected to attend work whereas a severe migraine or bout of ‘flu is likely to cause absence).
The manager should also receive self or medical certificates if appropriate and should discuss how the employee’s work was covered in their absence. Usually the interview need only be very brief, but it serves both to show concern for the employee and to act as a deterrent to unnecessary absence. The manager should be satisfied by the reason for absence before authorising sick pay. However, refusal to authorise sick pay without evidence that a sickness absence is not genuine is unacceptable.
Absence review meetings
These should be conducted if; in any three-month period an employee has displayed an unacceptable pattern of frequent short term absence, defined as:
at least 3 separate periods of un-, self- or medically certificated absence
an unacceptable pattern of absence, for example, regular Friday or Monday absence, or absences regularly occurring on a particular day of the week
any other absence giving rise to concern
The manager must take a view on each case as to whether the level or pattern of absences is acceptable or not.
The meeting should take place in private with the absence record available for discussion. It should not be confrontational, but rather an investigation into any underlying problems, medical, work-based or domestic, which may be preventing the employee from attending work regularly. The manager should explain the effect the absences are having on the work performance of the section and where possible, offer counselling, help and advice to assist the employee to attend regularly. It is important to remember that the reasons for absence may be sensitive, and that confidentiality is very important. There may be situations in which an employee will not wish to disclose information to the immediate manager and should be given the opportunity to speak to the Head of Administration.
It is important that the manager explains what is considered to be a reasonable standard of attendance and that the meeting produces a decision, preferably jointly agreed, on action to be taken by both manager and employee and a timescale (generally the following three-month period unless a longer period is jointly agreed to be necessary) to help achieve this standard.
A written, dated record should be made of this decision. This can take the form of a standard setting letter.
Types of action that could be agreed by the manager include:
Referral to the G.P
Referral to a counselling service
Purchase of equipment to make work physically easier
Formal review of employee’s attendance performance after a specified period
When agreed, it is important that these are carried out.
The manager should also give an indication of the consequences of failing to achieve the required improvement within the time period. The consequences will vary with the causes of absence which may not always be easy for the manager to identify conclusively.
There are cases where there is definite proof of misconduct, that is, an abuse of the sickness scheme, including sickness absences which are not genuinely attributable to poor health. Such cases should be dealt with using the disciplinary procedure.
Disciplinary action relating to absence
Examples of employee conduct in relation to absence where disciplinary action is appropriate:
Failure to follow the absence notification rules without good reason
Providing an unsatisfactory reason for being absent from work
A continuing pattern of unauthorised absences
Failure to provide medical certificates when required
Abuse of the sickness scheme by, for example, undertaking paid or unpaid employment elsewhere while absent on sick leave, engaging in activities which are inconsistent with the nature of the alleged illness or engaging in any activities which aggravate the nature of the illness or delay recovery
Deliberate falsification of self or medical certificates (potentially gross misconduct)
On each occasion of misconduct, action should be taken, following investigation, in accordance with the normal disciplinary process and in consultation with the administration section. For minor misconduct the aim is to encourage improvement to an acceptable standard of behaviour. Standard-setting letters may be issued and doctor’s certificates for the first day of absence can be required. More serious misconduct may warrant immediate formal action.
Unauthorised absence
An employee who has failed to follow the procedure for notifying absence is considered to be absent without permission.
On the employee’s return to work, the manager must ascertain the cause of absence and decide whether there was an acceptable reason for the failure to notify. If the reason is acceptable then sickness leave is granted retrospectively. If not, then pay is deducted and disciplinary action initiated as appropriate after a letter is sent to the employee.
When an employee has been absent for 5 days or more without making contact the manager must stop pay and send the employee a letter by recorded delivery.
If the employee fails to respond within a week, another letter should be sent by recorded delivery. Again, if there is no response within a week a further letter should be sent by recorded delivery.
If no response is forthcoming within a further week, the manager should consult the Head of administration section. Further attempts to contact the employee should be made, such as visiting the home, prior to sending a further letter by recorded delivery. Disciplinary action should then be taken against the employee in accordance with US University of Technology, Science and Arts’s disciplinary procedure.
Frequent genuine short-term absence
An employee may exhibit a pattern of intermittent, persistent absence due to sickness which is supported by medical certificates when necessary. After a period in which a continuing pattern has been documented, the employee should be referred to their GP for an assessment on whether there is an underlying medical condition.
It is common to find in such cases that the employee suffers genuine ill health but all the complaints are minor and unconnected. Alternatively, there may be an underlying medical condition but not one which would result in the employee being declared permanently unfit.
In such cases, action may be taken under US University of Technology, Science and Arts’s capability procedure on the grounds that the employee’s absence level has prevented them from carrying out their job to an acceptable standard over a period of time, despite counselling, medical and other advice and assistance. The Administration section should be consulted before any further action is initiated.
Once medical advice has been received, the manager should meet the employee to consider:-
Whether, in the light of medical advice, the employee will be able to maintain a satisfactory attendance level.
Whether there are any changes in working arrangements that would allow the employee to improve performance, for example, changes in hours, a period of unpaid leave.
If, following discussion, none of these options appear to be feasible; the manager should inform the employee that the matter will be referred to the Head of Administration for formal action under the capability procedure. The employee can be referred to the Administration section for further information.
If, following formal action, the decision is that the employee is to be dismissed on the grounds of incapability, dismissal is with the appropriate warnings and period of notice and the employee has the right of appeal to the appropriate Executive Director.
Long-term sickness including industrial injury absences
When an employee has been absent for 4 weeks continuously, or earlier, if appropriate, the manager must write to establish the state of health and a likely date of return to work. A home visit at this stage can help to demonstrate US University of Technology, Science and Arts’s concern, boost morale and aid an early return to work provided it is carried out in a sensitive and sympathetic manner.
It is also important to refer the employee’s case to their GP with information about the job and working conditions for a report on the nature of the illness, whether and when the employee is likely to be able to return, whether they are likely to be able to return full-time or part-time for a while, or whether they will need alternative work.
If the medical advice is that the employee is permanently incapable of working, then the Administration section should be informed.
The manager and administration will need to consider:
The length of the absence to date and likely length of the continuing absence
The nature of the illness
Any medical prognosis or advice
The effect of the continuing absence on the work
If, having taken a balanced view of the above factors, the manager decides that the employee is no longer capable of discharging the terms of their contract of employment, a decision to recommend termination of employment may be appropriate
Terminal illness
When a line manager becomes aware that an employee’s absence problem is due to terminal illness, advice should be sought from the Administration Head.
Administration’s role in managing absence
The administration section will ensure that the absence management policies and procedures are implemented within the organisation, through training, advising and assisting managers, through monitoring progress towards achieving targets and within specific sections and by ensuring action is taken in areas where high levels of absence are identified.
This will include:
Recruitment and selection – ensuring that details of a prospective employee’s absence record are obtained by seeking references from present and/or previous employers and analysing responses received to advise line managers.
Induction – ensuring that new employees are made fully aware and understand the rules and procedures for absence. To point out the high cost of non-attendance in terms of disrupting work schedules, inefficiency, work pressures that are placed on colleagues, overtime payments and the drop in quality of customer service.
Probation – assisting managers in monitoring any tendency towards lateness or absence during a new employee’s probationary period and ensuring that any problems are dealt with formally at the relevant review stages.
Training – providing managers with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage absence through, for example, absence management, counselling skills and communication skills training.
Advice and interpretation – providing managers with professional advice and interpretation of absence policies and procedures.
Welfare and counselling – providing a welfare and counselling service to employees to assist them in dealing with problems affecting their attendance at work.
Referrals to the GP/ Health Service – to establish the medical position of an employee as part of the process of managing absence, usually following a request from the manager.
Records and statistics – ensuring that:
Accurate and clear records are kept
Computerised absence records are up to date
Statistics are regularly produced to measure progress in reducing absence by directorate
Absence reports are produced for each line manager on a quarterly basis.
Sickness on the day prior to or following a public holiday
The National Conditions of Service state that a day’s sickness absence preceding or following a public or extra statutory holiday must be supported by a medical certificate.
Standard procedure for reporting sickness absence (for distribution to employees)
The following procedure (adapting if necessary to meet directorate needs) should be adhered to in the first seven days of sickness absence:
On the first day of absence the employee must notify their line manager as soon as possible, normally not later than midday, stating the nature and probable duration of the sickness. Notification should normally be by a telephone call from the employee or by someone phoning on their behalf. If it is not possible to telephone, written notification is acceptable provided it is posted on the first day of absence. Each department should communicate its specific absence reporting requirements to employees.
If the employee returns to work after one, two or three days absence no further reporting is required, unless the line manager has required a particular employee to provide first day certificates.
If the employee is absent for more than three days, the supervisor must be notified of the reason for continued absence. Notification could be by telephone or letter.
If the employee is away sick for more than seven calendar days, they must obtain a medical certificate from their GP on the eighth day of absence, and send this to their department. If the GP provides a medical certificate during the first seven days of absence this should be sent to the department immediately. Subsequent certificates must be obtained if necessary to cover the full period of sickness.